The Collaborative Dimensions Of Learning

The Collaborative Dimensions of Learning

Affective Learning Together

In the twenty-first century, being able to collaborate effectively is important at all ages, in everyday life, education and work, within and across diverse cultural settings. People are increasingly linked by networks that are not only means for working and learning together, but are also ways of maintaining social and emotional support. Collaborating with others requires not only elaborating new ideas together, but also being able to manage interpersonal relations. In order to design and facilitate effective collaborative situations, the challenge is therefore to understand the interrelations between social, affective and cognitive dimensions of interactions in groups. Affective Learning Together contains in-depth theoretical reviews and case studies of group learning in a variety of educational situations and taught disciplines, from small groups working in the secondary school classroom, to teams of medical students and more informal working groups at university level. Contributors provide detailed analyses of the dynamics of interpersonal relations and affects, in relation with processes of meaning and knowledge elaboration, including discussion of: the variety of social learning situations and experiences; social identities in group learning; emotion, motivation and knowledge elaboration; conflict, arguments and interpersonal tensions in group learning. Bringing together a broad range of contributions from internationally recognised researchers who are seeking to broaden, deepen and integrate the field of research on collaborative learning, this book is essential reading for all serious students of contemporary educational research and practice.

Collaborative Learning in a Global World

The 21st century has brought about changes in every aspect of life through ubiquitous technology and Internet-based social media. The distances between cultures and continents have narrowed, the world has become flat, and multicultural work-teams composed of members from different countries have become a daily reality in global businesses. However, in many ways these global changes in work practices have only just begun to have an impact on education. To better prepare students for the information age, researchers and policy makers largely agree about the skills needed for shared knowledge construction. Indeed, the education systems in several different countries have begun to integrate these skills into teaching and learning and are placing a strong emphasis on their implementation (Melamed et al, 2010; Resta et al, 2011). In 2015 the OECD PISA exam for the first time, included assessment of collaborative problem-solving in its country-by-country comparison. Collaborative learning is not a trivial challenge nor is it intuitive for all teachers and learners. One must acquire and practice the essential skills in order to successfully work in a team. Consequently it is essential to train teachers in collaborative teamwork, as they must serve as role models for students. In addition, new tools and practices become available at a rate that outpaces the abilities of many higher education institutions to adopt and implement. This book surveys the current state of the field and provides theoretical guidance and practical examples to help meet the gaps in research, development and practice.